Dreaming of a memory
by Emerald-eclipse
Summary: Hiyori is plagued by a dream that she can never remember upon waking up. Trying hard every day to recall it, she continues to live. AU future fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami. **

**Since the manga is still on going, anything written in this fic could be considered AU. Spoilers up to chapter 27 of manga can potentially show up.**

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_Goodbye, Hiyori._

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She woke up gasping for breath, the sound of the alarm clock harshly cutting through the apartment.

Disoriented, she twisted her head sideways to look at the clock. The red numbers blinked back at her, urging her to get up.

Instead, Hiyori let out a groan, pulling the covers over her head. Squeezing her eyes shut in concentration, she curled up in a fetal position trying to desperately hold onto the last wisps of her dream. _What was it? What was it?_

The alarm clock went silent, automatically switching to snooze mode.

She laid there unmoving for a moment before pulling back her covers. The sunlight streamed through the half-open window blinds, throwing bright patterns onto the plush rug beside her bed. She looked at it idly thinking, _What was I dreaming about?_

She rubbed at her eyes in frustration. Ever since that accident ten years ago, she had this recurring dream - a dream that she could never remember after waking up - a dream that only left her with a great sense of loss and pain.

_And longing._

She let out a sigh.

_No use dwelling on it now_.

Getting up, she let out a humorless chuckle.

"Who am I trying to kid?"

She shut off her alarm before it could go off again.

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AN: Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami.**

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"Yosh, you two are good to go." The golden puppy stared up at her with big eyes, wagging its short tail in a friendly manner. She picked it up from the examination table, gave him a pat on the head, and handed it to its owner. The high school girl briefly hugged her dog, burying her face in its fur, before giving Hiyori a wide and grateful grin.

"Thank you, Iki-sensei."

"You're very welcome, Takamura-san," Hiyori said, returning the smile. "Okumura-kun will help you outside with the rest of the paperwork. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any more concerns," she called out after the exiting girl.

Spraying the stainless-steel table with a disinfectant, Hiyori carefully wiped the whole surface with disposable wipes, the motions automatic in their familiarity. Having washed and dried her hands, she pulled off the stethoscope from around her neck, and placed it on one of the many shelves around the office.

Taking a last look around the examination room, she stepped out into the reception area.

It was a quite Thursday evening with only one more appointment before the closing time. Even though the clinic also accepted walk-ins, she thought it was safe to assume that not many people would want to brave the cold and rainy weather outside. Hiyori turned to watch as Takamura-san shrugged on a thick coat. She put on her hat, and then picked up the golden retriever. After bundling it up inside, she zipped her coat up with only some difficulty, making sure her puppy was okey.

"Will you two be all right? Please feel free to wait here until the rain stops."

"Don't worry, sensei. My place is only five minutes away. We will be fine, won't we, Toro?"

The puppy yipped in response from within the coat.

"If you're sure…" Hiyori opened the door for the two of them, the chime above it ringing a tune. "Be careful, ok?"

"Uh-huh. Bye, sensei!" Takamura-san jogged away, shielding the puppy from the rain. Hiyori's eyes followed them until they disappeared around the corner of the street.

"Close the door, Iki-sensei! It's freezing!" a shout came from the reception desk. Okumura-kun who was one of her assistants sent her a glare to which she only rolled her eyes. Rocking back on her feet she said, "Hai, hai," before closing the door. The chime rang again.

Hiyori sat down next to the boy. Okumura Reiji was a dark haired youth in his twenties, a student at the local university studying to become a veterinarian. He started working part time at her clinic to gain practical experience three years ago. She often told him he should try getting his practicum done in a full-service veterinary hospital, arguing that he would learn more relevant and wider range of skills over there than in her small clinic. She even offered him a referral to the previous hospital she had worked at. He dismissed her offer every time, saying he had plenty of time to work in that kind of environment after graduation. She snickered to herself wondering if his decision to stay wasn't more motivated by the fact that he was strangely smitten with one of her employees, Mikage Keiko.

Anyhow, she was silently grateful since her clinic would be short-staffed without him. She only employed two more people besides Okumura: Masami Chieko who worked as the secretary, and Mikage Keiko who was Hiyori's technician, both currently on leave until the end of the week.

That's why, Okumura was now typing up the medical records, what usually was Masami-san's job, a half-open biology textbook next to the computer. She glanced at the clock on the computer, playfully obscuring his view for a second. Seeing as Yokozawa-san and Sorata - his cat - weren't supposed to come for another hour, she grabbed her hand bag from one of the drawers under the desk - skillfully avoiding a nudge from Okumura-kun in retaliation for earlier - and took out her dream journal.

Flipping through the pages, she stopped occasionally to read some entries.

_March 5… that dream again._

_April 7….still can't recall any details._

_August 30…_

She let out a sigh letting her forehead hit the desk.

"Had that dream again?" she twisted her head to the side to be able to look at Okumura-kun. His face was scrunched up in his usual expression of annoyance, but she knew him well enough to detect a hint of worry behind his blue eyes. She nodded. He leaned back against the chair, looking troubled.

They sat there in silence, the hum of the overhead lights suddenly loud in the room. Hiyori slowly let her eyes close, breathing in deeply…once…twice, trying to pick up each and every sensory trigger around her, an exercise she often used for meditation and relaxation. First, came the feeling of the desk underneath her head. If she focused enough, she could hear the pitter patter of the rain outside. Breathing in deeply one more time there was the familiar smell of her clinic, a mix of disinfectants and animal smell – not exactly pleasant, but she was used to it - and among them, the scent of Okumura-kun with his ever present scent of fabric softener.

Okumura-kun suddenly cleared his throat. She looked up at him questioningly, her head still on the desk. He looked like he was hesitating to say something, which was pretty unusual. He was an honest person on his best days, completely and painfully blunt, even insensitive, on his worst.

"What?" she encouraged him slightly.

He scratched at his neck not looking at her.

"Maybe it's best that you can't remember that dream, Hiyori-sensei..." She stared at him as he continued, "Your mind could be trying to protect your from something, you know? I mean, it could be tied to that really bad accident you mentioned before, right? The one you had in high school?"

She sat up, leaning against her backrest. What Okumura said, obviously, made sense. It was exactly what her parents and friends tried to tell her on many occasions before. That there was a reason why she couldn't remember certain things, like say for example, how she got these scars. She caressed one of them, the one that was peeking out from under her coat sleeve. Scars extended across both her arms, broken up into clusters of patterns. Letters. Names. Some were faded, others were still visible even after years. They didn't hurt. She didn't even mind them anymore. But-

"By the way," Okumura snapped straight, grabbing a notepad, maybe trying to change the subject, "completely forgot. Your mother left a message. She said something about an omi–" Hiyori let out a groan, burying her face in her arms again, "–ai, this Saturday at 12pm."

He patted her on the back. "You have it rough, don't you?"

"I wish she would just accept that I won't be marrying anybody any time soon." Hiyori whined out, knowing that she was being immature, the dream pushed to the back of her mind for now.

He sent her a compassionate look, "My mum keeps nagging me about getting married every time she calls. Which is like…every day," he looked at the ceiling crossing his arms. "I keep telling her I'm too busy to date anybody, let alone marry them."

She grinned at him, "I would think you'd be popular with the female population at school, Okumura-kun." She gave him a light punch on the arm that had him nearly losing his balance. She pretended that the blush on his cheek was from her teasing and not from the effort of holding in a scream of pain. He vigorously rubbed at his arm, sending her a glare, which she pretended to ignore. He huffed and grabbed his textbook, thus ending their conversation.

"Or maybe there is somebody else?" she waggled her eyebrows. He ignored her, pointedly twisting around in his chair, away from her.

She got up, stretching her hand above her head, letting the matter drop. "I'll check up on the strays." He made a noise of acknowledgment. "Call me when Yokozawa-san comes."

She threw a last glance at her journal.

_November 1. Loss. Pain. Longing. Still no other detail._

She closed it.

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AN: Thanks for reading. Oh man, the anime ended.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami.**

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The omiai was being held in New Otani, a classy, modern hotel, situated away from the busier neighborhoods of Tokyo. Surrounded by a 10-acre Japanese garden, it also housed a separate traditional wing featuring tatami-matted rooms with sliding doors.

Hiyori brushed at her lap, straightening out some creases on her kimono. Her mother nearly had a coronary when she saw Hiyori arrive, dressed in a plain business suit. She immediately called for a kimono to be delivered to the hotel, and Hiyori found herself swiftly helped into a pink orchid-themed purple garment, with a light yellow obi wrapped around her middle. Her hair was then tied up in a half-bun and held in place with a simple kanzashi, a hair accessory with an orchid.

"Hiyori, promise me you will at least try this time. Please!" Her mother sounded so desperate that Hiyori could only nod in agreement.

Right now, the two of them were the only ones seated in the room, waiting for the other family to arrive. Hiyori didn't mind that her father wasn't with them, too busy with hospital duties to make it today. It just showed that he didn't think this omiai would work out; otherwise he would have tried harder to be there.

She looked around the sparsely decorated room, only half listening to her mother describing the potential suitor and his family in great details.

"– and Toshio-kun is an absolutely, wonderful doctor. He is such a kind man, and so good with children –"

"Mum, why are we doing this?" Hiyori suddenly asked, turning towards the beautiful woman beside her. She couldn't help but note that the years only seemed to enhance her mother's charm rather than deteriorate it. The older woman stopped mid-sentence, sending her an exasperated look, but then her eyes grew gentler when she noticed Hiyori's slumped shoulders. She clutched Hiyori's hand, pulling her closer so that their foreheads lightly knocked against each other. Hiyori leaned against her, breathing in the familiar, sweet fragrance of lilac perfumes.

"I just want you to be happy, dear," her mother whispered.

"But I am happy," Hiyori insisted.

They sat there in silence. Her mother gently lifted up Hiyori's chin to look into her eyes - brown meeting pink.

Whatever she found there, it made her sigh and squeeze Hiyori's hand once, her touch warm, and gentle, and reassuring.

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AN: Thank you for reading, follows, reviews, and favorites!

ed. 3/27/14 I had to rearrange the paragraphs. I'm sorry for the unprofessional behavior. It won't happen again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami.**

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Hiyori's first impression of Sakamoto Toshio was that he was a serious and quiet person.

Throughout the meeting, she kept catching him sneaking glances at her, his face completely expressionless. Their eyes would meet, brown clashing with pink. He wouldn't, however, look away in guilt for being caught, but hold her gaze long enough to make her start feeling self-conscious. Only then would he turn back towards the ongoing conversation.

They were now walking around the Japanese style garden surrounding the hotel; the sound of her geta hitting the rock path the only thing between them. He kept a few steps ahead of her, not even glancing back. It gave Hiyori the chance to observe him discretely.

_He was too tall_, she thought. Too serious looking. He even wore glasses. His dark brown hair was neatly combed back, except for the strand that fell between his eyes. He looked stiff. His back was straight, and he held his head high. His expensive looking suit was neatly pressed, no wrinkle, not even a crease in sight.

He worked as a doctor. Was certainly an upstanding citizen. The kind of man her mother would love her to marry.

She looked down at his hands that were swinging by his side. Delicate and smooth looking. The hands of a healer – not a fighter. She could smell his light cologne in the air. It still couldn't mask the distinctive smell that seemed to follow every doctor she knew.

"Iki-san," she startled at his voice. Looking up, she saw him glancing back at her.

He slowed down his pace to meet hers. In the process, his arm accidentally brushed against hers, causing him to jump away from the contact – flustered - the first real emotion she saw on his face since the start of the omiai.

His reaction surprised her.

She saw him clench his jaw, and then smooth his face back to the neutral expression from before.

"I will be completely honest with you. I work many hours at the hospital. I am far from perfect… My only girlfriend left me saying that I was too serious, too uptight, too focused on my work." He paused, waiting for her to say something. When she didn't react he confessed:

"But…I love being a doctor…helping people" - she threw a glance at him, slowly halting her steps until they came to a stop on a red, wooden bridge - "My most treasured moments are when I see my patients smile."

Hiyori couldn't help smiling at that. Sakamoto-san adjusted his glasses, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I have heard a lot about you from your Father, and from your Mother on the occasions she had visited the hospital. I understand that this is abrupt and maybe even unwanted attention… Frankly, you don't seem to like me –" she couldn't hide the wince that came over her "— it is understandable. We barely know each other," he was quick to add.

"…But if you let me…I promise, I will make you happy for the rest of your life."

He bowed deeply before her. When he straightened up, his glasses were slightly skewed; his neat hair now a bit messed up. He didn't move to adjust his glasses or straighten his hair. He stared right into her eyes, waiting for her answer.

Hiyori felt herself going red, a hot blush spreading from her neck to her cheeks and to he tips of her ears. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She closed it, swallowing. Her hand tightened around her purse. Her eyes darted around before meeting his again.

Sakamoto-san looked nervous, but he didn't rush her, waiting patiently for her answer. They stood there in silence - seconds turning into minutes. Sakamoto-san's expression slowly turned to one of disappointment as he looked away.

Making up her mind, Hiyori straightened her back, and bowed.

"I'm sorry, Sakamoto-san…I truly appreciate your offer…but…I just… I just can't."

They stood there for a brief moment in silence.

"I understand."

She hesitantly looked up. Sakamoto was looking out into the distance. He held onto the bridge rail leaning forward to look at the creek running underneath the bridge. He looked resigned but at the same time less tense.

She hesitated before asking, "Should we head back?"

He turned slightly towards her, his eyes not really meeting hers. The smile on his lips – the first one she saw - looked sad.

He shook his head. "Please go ahead without me."

She lingered on the bridge for a brief moment, before turning around to walk back to the tea pavilion. Suddenly, Sakamoto-san grabbed her by the kimono sleeve, startling her into dropping her purse. Apologizing profusely, he bent down to pick it up. He brushed it carefully from any dirt, handing it back to her. She went to take it from him, but he firmly held onto it.

He looked straight into her eyes. "If it is all right…please keep my contact information, Iki-san. In case…well, in case you change your mind... I…," he trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

He slowly let go of her bag.

She nodded.

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AN: Thank you for reading!

I feel that I have to put it out there - before I start losing readers. This is in no way a HiyorixOC story.

On another note, I now agree with a person that said 'Don't upload your story unless it's finished!' So yup, the last page of this fic has been written. I just need to polish things up. You can expect regular updates. Say, once a week, or every other week. Again, thank you for reading, follows, and reviews.

ed. 4/4/14 Sorry, minor edits. No matter how many times I reread before posting, there is always a mistake somewhere.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.**

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Trying, without success, to ignore her mother's disappointed expression, Hiyori excused herself from the omiai meeting. She walked aimlessly for an hour till she reached a park, where she flopped down on one of the many available benches. Absentmindedly, she lifted a strand of her hair, and brought it close to her nose. The scent of Sakomoto-san's cologne somehow still lingered there – not particularly unpleasant – but foreign and somehow…wrong. She let go of her hair, digging the heels of her palms into her eyes, trying to block the oncoming headache. She couldn't place the reason why the smell was wrong. It was as if she was half-expecting to catch a whiff of something else.

She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

Getting up, she continued to walk ignoring her aching legs and uncomfortable geta. Her kimono was restricting her moves, not letting her take more than half a step, when she actually felt like running.

She stopped abruptly at a peculiar thought that popped into her mind. No, not running. Leaping, jumping. Flying.

Suddenly, the bushes behind her rustled violently. Crunch! With a yelp, Hiyori whirled around, nearly tripping over her feet. She observed with wide eyes as the bush rustled again, before stilling.

A black cat popped its head out from between the branches.

"Meow…" fully emerging from the bush, the cat settled down at the edge of the grass, close to where she was standing. It scratched its ear and regarded her with bright green eyes, flicking its tail back and forth in mischief. It was a stray–no–on closer look she could see a dark collar with a tiny silver bell attached to it.

"What are you doing out here, kitty?" With some difficulty, she crouched down on the ball of her feet, reaching out a hand. The cat sniffed at her fingers, and allowed itself to be petted. It rubbed affectionately against her legs, and trotted away. She threw a last glance at the cat, shaking away the feeling of pins and needles in her legs, but before it would have disappeared around the road bend, it stopped and looked back at her. She blinked.

It didn't move from its spot.

She blinked again, darting her eyes around, an uneasy feeling rising in her as the cat kept staring, unmoving from its position.

Seconds ticked by, neither moving from their spots. Finally, Hiyori took a few experimental steps towards the cat. Noticing she was reluctantly following him, the cat turn around and kept on walking. Picking up her pace, she followed the cat, felling just a tiny little bit silly. Catching up to it, however, was proving to be a problem, but whenever the thought of quitting entered her mind, the cat would stop to look back at her, as though to make sure she was still following.

Lost in her thoughts, it took her a few seconds to realize that the cat was gone. Turning left at the end of the path, she came up to a medium size shack with a stretch of food, snacks and beverage stalls beside it. A few vending machines were placed on the opposite side of the small street. Next to the machines, on a wooden platform, were low dining tables with pink floor cushions placed around them. What caught her attention though were the disappearing tail of the black cat behind the first food stall, and the familiar scent of oden.

Her mind screeched to a halt. _Familiar?_

"Neko-chan, you're back! Yay!" a cheerful female voice drifted out from the closest shack, followed by a deep male voice shouting, "The heck, why is it back?!"

"Don't be mean, Daikoku! Neko-chan, I missed you!"

"KO-FU-KU, I told you not to feed the cats that come here, dammit!"

Hiyori came up to the stall, catching a sight of a girl with short, curly pink hair. She was twirling around the small room, holding up the cat in her hands. The feline seemed resigned to its fate, accepting the shaking - followed by glomping - with a kind of reluctant acceptance.

Noticing Hiyori, the pinkette stopped, "Oh, we have a customer! Hellooooo~, welcome to —"

The girl stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of Hiyori. She dropped the cat, and took a few steps back inside the tatami room. They stood there staring at each other. The pink haired girl opened her mouth widely-

"HI—"the man suddenly clamped his hand over the pinkette's mouth, whispering something harshly into her ear. The girl twisted around in his grasp, whispering back just as furiously at him.

Hiyori backed away from the couple, thinking the girl's reaction too excessive to not be suspicious. At least that's what she was trying to tell herself. Suspicion was a feeling that made more sense than the sudden feeling of fear- not at the couple-but of something else that was trying to overwhelm her. Blood pumped loudly in her ears, and she found it hard to breathe. She took another step back, felling the dangerous prickling behind her eyes.

"Would you like to order some food?" Hiyori startled, accidentally bumping into the person behind her - a teenage boy with blonde hair, holding bags full of what looked like groceries.

"I…I…" she stammered. She threw a quick look at the couple inside the house - the pinkette was staring at the boy with something akin to horror, while the scary looking guy had his face in his palm. Rooted to the spot, she didn't know what to say or do. Meanwhile, the boy walked around her to set down his bags on one of the counters.

"Daikoku-san, I bought the food."

"Thank you…Yukine."

The boy, now identified as Yukine, rummaged around under the table, and came up with a blue apron, which he quickly put on. He turned towards her. "Well, what would you like, ma'am?"

She wasn't sure why, but the image of him holding up a ladle and a bowl, ready to take her order, encouraged her to approach the stall again and look hesitantly at all the ingredients. She peered at the boy from behind her bangs. He was looking at her, his bright amber eyes wide open- honest, even mesmerizing in a way. They locked gazes, and she caught a flash of an emotion in them – too fleeting to identify. She threw a glance at the couple inside the house, just to quickly look away when she caught them still staring at her. Unnerved, she cleared her throat, and pointed to a few things.

"Ah…then, can I have an egg, tofu and a daikon, please?"

The boy served up her food in a few swift moves, adding in an extra egg.

Noticing that, she shook her head, "No, no. Just one is fine!"

The blonde chuckled, adding an extra daikon and shiitake mushrooms. "Will you be eating here-" he indicated with his head at the seats behind his back, then pointed to the tables behind her "-or there?"

She followed his hand, deciding to sit at the low dining table, when the black cat from before, its collar bell jingling, settled on one of the benches behind the blonde - Yukine - she corrected herself.

She finally pointed to those tables, and the blo - Yukine! - went over there to set down her bowl. She hesitantly sat down and picked up the spoon. Meanwhile, the black feline settled unceremoniously onto her lap. She spared it a quick glance, deciding that she should just quickly finish her food and leave.

Looking up from the bowl for a second, she saw that the pink haired girl was peeking from behind the sliding door, still observing her. Having been caught staring, she only sent Hiyori a sad smile and a small wave, before disappearing into the house. The yakuza looking man quickly followed her, not before grabbing the groceries and sending Hiyori an unreadable look.

Hiyori returned her gaze to the bowl, and took a first bite. A wave of nostalgia washed over her. With each spoonful she felt as if a memory was trying very hard to fight its way through her mind. The rising feeling of frustration was familiar; the feeling of trying to recall something not unlike what she always felt after one of her dreams. She stared intently into the bowl, willing herself to remember.

Clank.

A cup was gently set down in front of her. The boy, (Yuki?), smiled warmly.

"On the house," he said. He turned away when her hand automatically shot out, grabbing him by the forearm.

"What's your name?" she asked in a loud voice, her grip tightening around his arm, afraid he would disappear at any moment. She didn't understand. His name, she knew she heard it before, but it kept slipping her mind. He stared at her bewildered, searching her face in confusion. He looked down at where she was clutching his sleeve, but she still caught a flash of pain in his eyes. She slowly let go, setting her hand on the head of the cat that was contently napping on her lap. The blonde opened his mouth and whispered something. Not catching it, she leaned in, and he repeated louder:

"Yukine, ma'am,"

"Yukine-kun…" she trailed off. Yukine-kun rubbed at his forearm, not looking at her. A minute passed without them saying anything. She fumbled with her purse, pulling out her wallet.

"I'd like to pay."

"…That will be 400 yen."

She gently moved the cat away from her lap and got up. It gracefully jumped down, rubbed against her legs and darted off.

"Here is your change." Their fingers brushed against each other, when she took the coins from him.

She lingered for a moment, before exiting the stall.

"Thank you for the meal."

He gave her a polite bow. "Please, come back again, ma'am."

That sentence. Typical sentence said to a customer, yet it stopped her in her tracks. She twisted her head to look at the boy – Yukine - she corrected herself. He was staring at her, an emotion playing on his face again- the one that she couldn't name.

"…My name is Iki Hiyori."

The smile that bloomed on his face was sad, and heart wrenching.

And the way he looked at her…. But the expression was gone in a blink as he bowed again.

Walking away, she was ready to put the strange encounter out of her mind, when Yukine shouted after her, "Are you happy, Hiyori?!"

She whirled around. He was looking at her with a pained expression; his hands bunched up in the apron as if to hold himself back from something. And his raw voice…calling her name with such familiarity. She should feel indignant, but instead she staggered away, a painful feeling rising in her chest, the question resounding in her mind. _Are you happy, Hiyori?_ She shook her head, staring straight into his eyes. _Are you happy, Hiyori?_ She shook her head again, twisted around, and ran.

Tears slid down her cheeks. She wasn't sure whether they were from the wind or something else. She wiped at her eyes. _Are you happy Hiyori?_ The pink haired girl's electrifying purple eyes, the sideway glance of the tall guy, and the amber colored-eyes of Yukine flashed consecutively through her mind. _Are you happy, Hiyori?_

She ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, but with each step away from that stall, the encounter slowly grew hazier and hazier until it was completely gone.

Reaching the edge of the park, she staggered to a stop, trying to catch her breath. She brushed away the hair from her face, the half bun now completely undone, and the hair pin wedged behind her collar. She reached behind to pull it out. Turning around to look at the park in confusion, she wondered out loud, "Am I forgetting something?" the boy with amber eyes no longer on her mind.

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**AN:** Things start picking up after this. Thank you for reading, reviews, follows and favorites!

Geta - are a form of traditional Japanese footwear that resemble both clogs and flip-flops (Wikipedia)

Oden - a Japanese winter dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon, konjac, and processed fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth (Wikipedia)


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami.**

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_Snow fell around her, but she didn't feel cold._

_A glint of metal._

_Goodbye, Hiyori._

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She woke up with a gasp—the feeling of snow against her skin fresh in her mind. Kicking off her blankets, she scrambled out of her bed and ran towards the desk. She grabbed her purse and started shaking out its content. Her journal soon fell out and she grabbed and opened it with one hand, the other one desperately pressing at the button of a pen.

Gripping her hair, she jotted down anything that she could remember, nearly tearing out holes in the paper in the process. Snow, warmth, cold, light reflected in metal, and…and…

She threw the journal across the room, sliding down on to the floor. She couldn't remember anything else.

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"Is that all you're going to eat?"

She looked up from her ramen bowl. Her father sat opposite of her, already done with his meal. She wrinkled her nose at the cup of coffee in his hand, and turned back to her bowl, swirling the noodles around with her chopsticks.

"I heard you declined the marriage proposal…"

She pushed away the bowl, pulling her tea cup closer.

"…Toshio-kun is a very good doctor and a very good man," her father continued.

She sent him a look.

He gave her a slight shrug, "You can tell your mother that I tried very hard to convince you."

Hiyori cracked a smile. "I will keep that in mind."

A small group of doctors passed their table, stopping to bow to her father. He greeted them with a warm smile and a few kind words.

Once they left, he leaned back against the backrest of his seat. "I was being honest, though. Sakamoto-sensei is a very respected and admired doctor in Pediatrics. He might not look it, but children adore him."

She scowled at him, "You know quite well that Sakamoto-san isn't the problem here," she finished her tea, "I am."

"There is nothing wrong with you, Hiyori," her father said, squeezing her hand lightly.

"I know…I was just saying…"

She looked down at their hands, wondering what was wrong with her. She had so many wonderful things in her life: her family, friends, co-workers, a job that she absolutely adored. Even all the omiai partners her mother finds her…they were all good people…Yet—

"Do you know what the worst memory of my life is?" her father suddenly said.

Without looking up, she shook her head.

"When you were brought into the hospital that winter… unconscious, hurt, bleeding…. That's when I found out something much worse than not being able to save my patients—" he sent her a small broken smile "—it was not being able to do anything for my own daughter."

"Your mother spent days by your bedside, and then you woke up—but all you did was cry, and cry, and cry."

"I did?" she looked up surprised.

"You kept saying that you were missing something important. That something important was gone…To be honest, it scared us so much."

"I did?" she repeated again, her mind trying to recall that particular memory, but coming up blank. This happened a lot. She rubbed at her temple.

"You have to understand. You were in a bad condition. Very bad. I think it was too much for you. And then you started having that dream, and became obsessed about it."

"Is there something wrong about that? About wanting to remember?!" Hiyori asked, her voice growing shrill. It garnered her a few curious looks from the other tables which she ignored.

"It's been ten years, Hiyori. Maybe it's time to let go."

"No," she said looking at him.

"No," she repeated again as if sealing a deal.

He gave her a long look. Seeing her stubborn expression, he rubbed at his forehead, not unlike how she did just a minute ago, and sighed.

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**AN:** Thank you for reading, reviewing, follows, and favorites. Special thanks for your kinds words **CrystalHeart950, Ana cii Bunny, Biribirichan** and the **Guest** reviewers. Your kind words made my day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami**

* * *

"So, how did it go?"

Hiyori looked up from her copy of MMA Today to see Mikage Keiko, her technician and friend, leaning over the reception counter. She stared confusedly at her co-worker's eager expression, before whipping around, throwing an accusing glare at Okumura-kun. He turned away, pretending to be engrossed with his textbook.

"How did what go? I don't know what you're talking about," Hiyori said, making her friend scoff.

"O-mi-a-i—" Mikage slapped the counter with each syllable "—omiai," she repeated just to drive the point home. "Come on. Give us the dirt. Where did you meet? What was he like? How did you reject him?"

"Why do you assume that I turned him down?" Hiyori asked, putting away her magazine.

Okumura and Keiko looked at her as if she'd grown an extra head. "Hiyori-sensei…you always do."

She rubbed at her forearm. Mikage's question dredged up things she had been trying very hard not to think about. Sakamoto san's sad gaze and her mother's disappointed expression flashed through her mind, making her wince.

"Sakamoto-san is a very good person and a very good man," she finally said, unconsciously repeating her father's words from a few days before. At Okumura-kun's and Mikage's unconvinced looks she hastened to add, "I mean it! He was extremely understanding and nice about-"

"Your rejection?"

Hiyori threw up her hands. "Yes! My rejection!"

"Chill, Iki-sensei," seemingly satisfied with her confession, Okumura turned back to his exam notes.

Mikage, however, wasn't done interrogating her yet.

"Come here," she entered behind the counter and dragged Hiyori up by her arm. She led her through the reception hall into the examination room and through the back door into what they dubbed as "the Nest".

Opening the door they were welcomed by an orange cat dashing towards them. Keiko and Hiyori, expecting that, quickly entered the room, slamming the door shut before Mikan, the aforementioned orange cat, could escape. Seeing that it couldn't get out now, the cat walked away, swishing its tail in agitation.

The Iki Veterinary Clinic was a small practice ran by Hiyori and her technician Mikage Keiko. Due to the small scale of the business, they specialized in Preventive Medicine; check-ups, vaccinations, diagnosis and general care of small animals – your run of the mile home pets.

Soon after purchasing the clinic, Hiyori converted the recovery ward, unnecessary for her small business, into a storage room, which over the years gradually became a temporary shelter for any animals that she would come upon. It annoyed Okumura-kun to no end. He would often remind her that she ran a clinic and not charity. She would get a good scolding every time she came in with another abandoned cat. What could she say? She had an unnatural soft spot for them. Besides, once they were properly taken care of, she was always able to quickly find them a new and loving home, thus removing the burden of long term care from their clinic. Not that Okumura saw it her way.

Keiko plopped down on one of the large bean bags they kept in the room, patting the one next to her for Hiyori to sit down.

"I was just wondering what's different this time that you actually feel bad about it."

Hiyori picked up a passing cat, a mellow tabby that she nicknamed Tono-Chan.

"Nothing is different. Sakamoto-san was just very nice."

"Hmm…Then maybe you should give it a try. Go on a date. Get to know him."

Hiyori circled that idea around her mind. Maybe it was naive of her to wait for somebody that would make have feel that "ah, he's the one," but the idea of finding somebody unique, somebody just for her…had she always believed in that? She had. She couldn't go out with anybody that didn't feel at least somewhat right. She thought about Sakamoto-san's honest expression and straightforward way of talking, and didn't immediately feel anything wrong, but no matter how nice Sakamoto-san was, he was still too tall, too thin, too serious looking. His hands were too delicate looking, his eyes were too dark, his hair too light a shade, too-

"Hiyori-sensei."

"Sorry?"

"…You were scratching at your scars again."

Hiyori looked down and true enough there were thin, red nail marks on her forearms from scratching. She adjusted her sleeves and scratched Tono-chan's ear. The feline leaned into her touch, purring loudly.

A knock came from the door, Okumura's voice coming from the other side, "Walk-in appointment!"

"Heard you!"

Mikage leaned over, taking Tono-chan from her lap. Hiyori got up, brushing at her skirt. They both washed their hands carefully in the room and quickly squeezed through the door before Mikan could run out.

Hiyori exhaled loudly. Keiko threw an arm around Hiyori's shoulder.

"Cheer up, okay? You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Hiyori smiled before they exited to the reception room.

* * *

**AN:** I wasn't planning on having this chapter in the story but it became a necessary placeholder. It's partially the reason why the update is a week late. On the other hand though, it's also the reason why we're having a double update! So go on ahead and read the next chapter in which Hiyori gets to meet another familiar face. Again sorry about the delay, and thank you for reading, reviewing, favorites and follows.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami**

**AN:** Double update! If you haven't, please go back and read chapter 7.

* * *

On the way back from the clinic, a five yen coin caught Hiyori's eye. She crouched down to pick it up. Not certain why she stopped for it, she turned the coin over in her hand and after some deliberation, slid it into the pocket of her coat. She continued on walking.

It was only the end of November, but many shops had already pulled out Christmas decorations. Cafes and bakeries advertised couple discounts, groups of high school girls gathered in front of shop windows to admire the colorful, seasonal displays. She ignored all that in favor of picking up her pace.

Minutes later, she turned into an emptier street at the end of which was the bottom gate leading up to the Temple of Tenjin-sama. Usually, she would simply walk past the place, but tonight she halted abruptly at the bottom of the steps. Didn't Okumura-kun mention he had an important exam coming up? She fingered the coin inside her pocket for a brief moment. Before she consciously registered it, she was already climbing up the stairs, soon passing the upper gates and stepping onto the temple grounds.

A soft breeze blew across the courtyard. She looked around the dimly lit temple grounds, currently void of any people, a sense of tranquility settling over her. She strolled up to the prayer box, pulling out the five yen coin she found before. She rubbed at it for a second before throwing it in. Clapping twice, she sent a quick prayer for good luck for Okumura.

The leafless branches rustled in the wind. Hiyori turned around, burying herself deeper into her coat, simultaneously pulling up her scarf to cover her nose. She stood there, gazing around the temple grounds when the ema boards on the left caught her eyes. She walked up to them, seeing multiple wooden plaques hung together on metal hooks; all holding prayers and wishes. Reading through them she saw the usual wishes you would expect to be asked of Tenjin-sama: luck on exams, blessings for passing exams, getting into a dream school, that kind of thing. She remembered coming here herself to ask for blessings to get into the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. That was nine years ago. She smiled to herself, brushing her fingers against a row of ema, making them clank against each other.

Suddenly, a scent reminding her of plum flowers brushed against her nose, leaving behind a minty glow and a hint of something else. A slight scent of something painful in its familiarity, gone before she could figure it out.

She whipped her head around, catching sight of an approaching young woman with short black hair, wearing the white and red colored garments of a priestess. As the woman came closer, her eyes widened at the sight of Hiyori. Confused, Hiyori tucked her hair behind her ear and bowed in greeting. The priestess seemed to shake herself from surprise and bowed back. Hiyori could now see that she had bright green eyes.

"Our stalls are open between 8am and 6pm. You won't be able to get any ema if you were planning on writing a wish."

Hiyori shook her head, "I was just looking at them. I'm sorry. I know it's getting late."

The green eyed girl smiled. "Temples are here for anybody that needs a chance to relax and reflect. It is never too late for a prayer. Wishes will always be heard and received."

"Is that so?" Hiyori looked down at her feet, thinking back to all the times she prayed and begged for answers yet no one came forward with them. In that sense, she couldn't help but doubt the existence of gods, a thought that she often dismissed as quickly as it came, holding with it a feeling of some kind of betrayal. Even now she winced at that. Her discomfort must have shown on her face, because the priestess looked at her with worry.

"Something weighs heavily on your mind…"

Hiyori shook her head vehemently. "Please don't mind me. I just got lost in my thoughts."

"Would you like to talk about it?" the priestess asked her kindly. "My name is Mayu," she added.

"Ah...My name is Iki Hiyori."

Mayu observed her in silence. Hiyori fidgeted under the priestesses' keen eyes, feeling a bit unnerved.

"Come," Mayu beckoned towards her. With a bit of hesitation, Hiyori followed the priestess, who led her to a lone standing wooden booth. Mayu retrieved a key from her sleeve, opened one of the wooden shutters and reached inside for a pen and a blank ema. She passed both objects to Hiyori.

"Here, go ahead and write your wish," Mayu said, closing and locking the door. "I'm sure Tenjin-sama won't mind an overtime one," she added, chuckling.

"Mayu-san, I couldn't—"

"Nonsense, Iki-san. Come on. Go ahead," the priestess nodded encouragingly, pointing at the wooden plaque in Hiyori's hand.

The pink eyed woman looked down uncertainly at the object in her hand. "But...I don't have any school related wishes…"

"Tenjin-sama is the deity of learning and scholarship. But he is definitely also a god who will listen to any wishes." Mayu leaned in closely to Hiyori, stage whispering. "If he can't do anything, this is also the temple grounds for Inari-sama and Ameno-tajikaraono-mikoto. I'm sure between the three of them they can figure something out,"

Hiyori smiled at the way Mayu-san talked about deities as if they were old friends meeting up to discuss how to make wishes come true over a cup of tea.

She suddenly imagined Tenjin-sama as an old man, wiry and tall with a ponytail of grey hair, weathered by age but with intelligent eyes staring back at you, a slightly goofy grin on his face. The scent of plum blossoms and pipe smoke would follow anywhere he went.

She grinned slightly at the image.

She gazed at the blank ema, pondering what to write down. Soon, her mind went back to the conversation with her dad from a week ago.

___—"_Is there something wrong about that? About wanting to remember?!"_—_

___—_"It's been ten years, Hiyori. Maybe it's time to let go."_—_

She shook herself mentally. She finally penned down a short wish and signed the wooden plaque with her name. Carefully tying it to one of the available spots, she took a step back to look at it. Satisfied, Hiyori rummaged through her purse, pulling out her wallet.

"Let me pay for it."

Mayu-san shook her head. "There really is no need—"

"Please," Hiyori insisted, quietening the priestess, who let out a resigned sigh.

"…Five yen, then."

"Five yen?" Hiyori repeated. She furrowed her brow, ready to argue that it wasn't enough when Mayu-san held out a hand.

"Five yen or nothing," she said; a strange smile on her lips. "It is only fitting."

Hiyori retrieved a five yen coin from her wallet and handed it to Mayu-san. The young woman looked at it wistfully before flipping it in the air.

"Your wish has been heard. Loud and clear."

A strong gust of wind blew across the temple grounds, causing Hiyori's hair to flap around her face. She exclaimed from shock, closing her eyes under the pressure of the wind. The scent of plum blossoms overcame her senses before disappearing along with the minty undertone that was present before.

Opening her eyes carefully, she looked around. Mayu-san was gone, leaving Hiyori the only person on the temple grounds.

* * *

That night, she had another dream.

* * *

**AN:** I know this is a week late. That's why I'm doing a double update (if you haven't, go back and read chapter 7). Thank you for reading, reviewing, follows, and favorites. Again, special thanks for your kinds words **MykaGhostt, MisakixRevive** (I was so surprised to get multiple reviews!), **EldiatricC, kelpiejh, Mia Kitty, RandomKrazyPerson, CrystalHeart950, Ana cii Bunny, Biribirichan** and the **Guest reviewers**. Thank you.

ed 5/24/14 added the last line. Not really important.


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